{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-lankford-challenge-biden-harris-administrations-gender-identity-guidance-targeting-women-people-of-faith", "Cruz, Lankford Challenge Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s \u2018Gender Identity\u2019 Guidance Targeting Women, People of Faith", "2024-10-22", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "ASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, and Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra about new guidance from HHS that compels speech, targets the ability of federal employees to practice their faith, and endangers women.\n\nIn the letter, the senators wrote, \u201cWe write out of deep concern over Guidance you issued entitled \u2018Gender Identity Non-Discrimination and Inclusion Policy for Employees and Applicants.\u2019\u2026 According to the Guidance, failure to use the preferred names and pronouns an individual asks to be addressed with \u2018contribute[s] to an unlawful hostile work environment.\u2019 Notably, your Guidance states that the Department cannot \u2018require a legal change of name or gender marker, medical certification, or other documentation.\u2019 In other words, anyone can change their names and pronouns and compel coworkers to use that name or pronoun, or face disciplinary action.\n\n\u201cPerhaps more egregious than the Guidance\u2019s position on compelled speech related to pronoun usage is the policy on bathroom, locker room, and lactation room usage. According to the Guidance, HHS will \u2018ensure there are no barriers to equally accessing restrooms, locker rooms, lactation rooms, or other personal care spaces.\u2019\u2026 Including lactation rooms in this same Guidance is blatantly offensive\u2014males cannot breastfeed their children, and claiming to be female does not change that reality. The only reason for including this in the Guidance is to continue to push a radical agenda in every facet of the federal workplace.\u201d\n\nSens. Cruz and Lankford were joined by Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) in signing the letter.\n\nRead the full letter here or below:\n\nDear Mr. Secretary:\n\nWe write out of deep concern over Guidance you issued entitled \u201cGender Identity Non-Discrimination and Inclusion Policy for Employees and Applicants.\u201d This Guidance denies science, compels speech, jeopardizes the ability of federal employees to practice their faith without fear of retaliation, endangers women, and further erodes the American people\u2019s trust in public institutions. We urge you to reverse course and rescind this Guidance.\n\nAccording to the Guidance, failure to use the preferred names and pronouns an individual asks to be addressed with \u201ccontribute[s] to an unlawful hostile work environment.\u201d Notably, your Guidance states that the Department cannot \u201crequire a legal change of name or gender marker, medical certification, or other documentation.\u201d In other words, anyone can change their names and pronouns and compel coworkers to use that name or pronoun, or face disciplinary action. The Guidance also stipulates that training on this guidance will be included in \u201call new employee training.\u201d It also says additional trainings regarding gender identity will be made available, and that \u201cspecialized training\u201d may be deemed necessary \u201cfor particular offices or Department-wide.\u201d There is no mention anywhere in the Guidance about accommodations for those with religious or conscience objections to the compelled use of incorrect pronouns.\n\nIn addition to violating extremely clear, long-standing Supreme Court precedents on compelled speech, reaffirmed as recently as 303 Creative v Elenis, this also violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In forcing employees to choose between deeply held religious beliefs or losing their job, HHS is creating a hostile work environment for employees.\n\nPerhaps more egregious than the Guidance\u2019s position on compelled speech related to pronoun usage is the policy on bathroom, locker room, and lactation room usage. According to the Guidance, HHS will \u201censure there are no barriers to equally accessing restrooms, locker rooms, lactation rooms, or other personal care spaces.\u201d The Guidance notes that, \u201cHHS will not condition this access on an employee having undergone or providing proof of gender-affirming surgeries or other medical procedures.\u201d Further, if any employees are made uncomfortable by having to share bathrooms, locker rooms, or lactation rooms with individuals using the wrong space, they will be directed to use other facilities, because \u201cemployees will not be barred from using the restroom consistent with their gender identity.\u201d\n\nGiven the Guidance\u2019s stipulation on not requiring any evidence of gender dysphoria or gender transition procedures, women could be forced to be exposed to fully male anatomy in the bathroom or in the locker room. This creates a hostile work environment for women who may have no other option than using the facilities at work. A female employee who has used a women\u2019s restroom for more than a decade will be told that she has to find a new option for a restroom if she is uncomfortable with a biological male in her restroom. Women deserve better. Including lactation rooms in this same Guidance is blatantly offensive\u2014males cannot breastfeed their children, and claiming to be female does not change that reality. The only reason for including this in the Guidance is to continue to push a radical agenda in every facet of the federal workplace.\n\nFinally, the Guidance\u2019s denial of science\u2014and incorporation of that denial into the hiring, firing, and promotion process\u2014raises questions about the work and research being done through the HHS. Gender is not, as the Guidance erroneously asserts, \u201ca social construct of identities, norms, behaviors, and roles that vary between societies over time.\u201d There are only two sexes: male and female. Research by the HHS at taxpayer expense should not be done in contravention of that scientific and self-evident fact.\n\nHHS is rapidly losing the confidence of the American people over the last three years. According to Pew Research polling, in 2020, HHS had a favorable/unfavorable rating of 73/19. In 2023, that favorability metric had plummeted to 55/30. By rejecting science and diving deeper into the culture wars, HHS risks further undermining faith in critical public institutions. We urge you to rescind this Guidance, and request answers to the following questions no later than October 30.\n\nIn your response to a Finance Committee question for the record, you stated that this Guidance does not change any religious protections for employees, but you did not answer whether there was a specific exemption process in place for this guidance. What exemption process is HHS providing to employees and managers being required to follow or implement this guidance based on religious or conscience objections?\n\nPlease provide detailed account of the exemption process; how HHS is ensuring employees are aware of this process; if individuals have to apply for an exemption; and how many individuals have received exemptions.\n\nThe Guidance requires managers who become aware of \u201cderogatory remarks or demeaning behaviors\u201d to \u201ctake appropriate steps to immediately and effectively stop these activities.\u201d\n\nIs an employee\u2019s refusal to use preferred name or pronouns considered \u201cderogatory remarks or demeaning behavior?\u201d\n\nWhat does HHS consider \u201cappropriate steps?\u201d\n\nHow many HHS employees have faced employment consequences of any type for not abiding this guidance?\n\nThe Guidance refers to updating websites, policies, programs, trainings, and publications to \u201creplace gendered language with gender-neutral and gender-inclusive language.\u201d\n\nPlease provide detailed accounts of how many hours have already or will be used on this, the total cost of updating training materials, and any other expenses incurred as a result of this change.\n\nWill information pertaining to male and female specific medical issues\u2014including testicular or ovarian cancer, maternal health, etc.\u2014also be changed to gender neutral language?\n\nThe Guidance creates an \u201cLGBTQI+ Coordinating Committee.\u201d\n\nWho will determine the members of this committee?\n\nWhat funds will be used to pay for the activities of this committee?\n\nWill there be a member on this committee dedicated to ensuring the protection of employees with religious and conscience objections?\n\nOn what statutory authority does HHS base this Guidance?\n\nWe look forward to your prompt response.\n\nSincerely,\n\n/X/\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-lankford-challenge-biden-harris-administrations-gender-identity-guidance-targeting-women-people-of-faith"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6505811363458633, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}